私营公司Katalyst Space Technologies的Link卫星在执行NASA望远镜救援任务中遭遇重大挫折。[1]该卫星于发射三周后的周末出现推进器问题，导致进入失控旋转状态并中断通信。[1]Link卫星原定用于捕获并拯救正在下降的Swift望远镜，但现已陷入困境。[1]
Swift望远镜发射于2004年，若不获救将在今年秋季坠落。[1]NASA为这项在一年内仓促启动的救援计划投入了3000万美元。[1]Katalyst公司表示，"任务保持活跃状态，我们继续相信在这些改变的基础上，Link拥有与Swift交会的可行路径"。[1]最近的太阳活动导致Swift下降速度超过预期，这加大了推进器的压力。[1]
A commercial satellite designed to rescue NASA's aging Swift telescope has encountered serious technical difficulties, jeopardizing a mission that represents a significant investment in preserving aging space infrastructure. The Link satellite, developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, experienced propulsion system failures and entered an uncontrolled spin over the weekend, approximately three weeks after its launch [1]. The malfunction has disrupted communications with the spacecraft, which was specifically engineered to rendezvous with and capture the Swift telescope before it could plummet to Earth [1].
NASA has committed $30 million to this ambitious rescue operation, which was hastily assembled within a single year [1]. The Swift telescope, launched in 2004, is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the coming autumn unless intervention is successful [1]. According to Katalyst Space Technologies, recent solar activity accelerated the Swift telescope's descent faster than originally anticipated, contributing to the current crisis [1]. Despite the Link satellite's present troubles, the company stated that "the mission remains active and we continue to believe that with these changes, Link has a viable path to rendezvous with Swift" [1].